Days 55 - 57 - Nottingham, still Queen of the Midlands - and the Princess feedback

As many will know, I am still very proud of Nottingham and each return visit is a delight, not just for a catch up with family and friends, but also the City itself and the shopping – especially the food shopping.  Whilst there is no comparison with the artisan French markets, particularly in the area of the fresh fruit and vegetables, when it comes to packaged goods and particularly pre-prepared meals and the choices of beers and ciders, the range is mind boggling and prices are more than reasonable.

Our first port of call however was to Brookfields garden centre, which just like home, has a very good café.  It was bit damp outside.  We were  a little early for lunch but we ate well anyway, before doing some extensive browsing, inside and out.  We found a couple of garden ornaments we quite liked, but I fear they may be too big to bring home.

On the way back, we checked out the Lidl store, which was about to open last year.  One of two or three new chains to hit the UK in recent years.  An odd range of goods, but some good bargains.  Dave had bought a pair of walking boots for £19.99 a week or two earlier, then they had a special on at just £9.99 – so he bought another pair!  At that price, if we weren’t so tight for space, I might have considered a pair too.

Sue did another excellent meal of salmon, with garden peas for Dave and Paula, mushy peas for us two!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, blogging, looking at updated family photographs from the past and Dave had  a go at Paula’s tablet, loading up Kindle for her.

Tuesday July 14^th – Bastille Day and Ros’s birthday!

We started Tuesday with a visit to 80 year old friends of my brother, where Dave helps him out with his computer.  Lovely old couple and nice to talk to, but like so many older Brits, no windows open, so we found it quite stifling!  (The last few weeks I have been moaning about air conditioning, now it is no air movement at all!)

Afterwards, to Morrison’s supermarket for a late lunch (yup, chicken tikka masala again for me, £4.99), then one or two of the estate’s large stores.  Sadly, Tesco has just closed down, but Paula managed a top from another store (– which when she got it home, didn’t fit!) then back to Morrisons’ supermarket for a food and home shopping.  Dave and Sue are well organised, with their own insulated box for cold stuff in their trolley and a couple of lidded cardboard boxes for the rest.  We had a basket and a bag. 

A couple of things from my must get list, were a couple of shaving brushes (£3.95 each – Boots the Chemist brushes, £10.75) and tubes of Colgate toothpaste.  Yes, I know you can get Colgate in NZ, but as it is made in Thailand or wherever, I prefer the local stuff, which is made in Ireland.

Next were a couple of food items, vegetable crisps (I got addicted to them last year), some chocolate covered oat biscuits (Dave was addicted to them) and of course, 4 mini Pork Farms pies.  These are proper pork pies, not ordinary pastry filled with pork mince we get in NZ.  A couple of other bits and pieces and back with Dave and Sue at the checkout, where Dave refused to let me pay, so he went to the next checkout!

Paula and I went across the top and down into Arnold, which sadly, seems to have deteriorated over the years, but Paula managed to buy 2 tops and I managed some Quink fountain pen ink cartridges from WHS, as I’d run out.  Normally sold in packs of 5, they were in packs of 15, but 3 for the price of 2.  I now have 45 ink cartridges…  About 3 or 4 years’ worth.

I also managed a 100 page magazine about Jeremy Clarkson, which proved to be very entertaining reading.

Back home and this time Sue produced a very tasty pasta Bolognese from Morrison’s plus onion rings and breaded mushrooms, garlic bread.  I didn’t put on weight whilst cruising, I certainly will in Nottingham!

I popped up to see Stewart then back home, we had the Princess end of cruise questionnaire.

For cruisers – if any are still following this…

Be warned.  The email asks you to take part in a short (sic) survey.  Just make sure you have about an hour to spare and - unlimited email access.

The survey is quite extensive and even if you add no comments, it takes a fair bit of time.  Before you start, I suggest you have a list of places you visited and your observations, the various crew members you want to thank and a strong coffee to keep you awake.  If you wish to add comments, they often allow up to 1,000 characters in each section.  If your typing is as slow and error prone as mine, and you do have comments, then it definitely won’t be a short survey.  If you travelled as a couple, then you’ll get one each.

When it comes to mentioning outstanding crew members or departments, you are limited to five posts so I suggest you lump those from each department together, so for me, for example, I named all the singers and dancers in one block – but again, beware, they have a limited number of characters, so get yourself organised before you start.

If Larraine is correct, the survey company filter out adverse comments anyway, but don’t let that stop you saying what you want.

I should have done the survey early the following day as it kept me up later than normal.

From memory, the on line survey is only active for a limited time after the end of the cruise, so don’t leave it too long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday July 15^th    

The time is relaxing – but flying by.  The weather has perked up again.  We went down to the Colwick Park and Ride.  Unlike the Auckland Park and Ride, they charge £3 to park the car and that covers all passengers and the bus ride into town and back is then free.  There were plenty of spaces and it is patrolled and also covered by CCTV.  Buses run every 15 minutes throughout the day. 

We hopped off in town at the Broad Marsh centre, the lesser of the City’s two shopping Malls, sadly, not the best entry to the city for those arriving by train, but once through, the modern Nottingham is a massive improvement on that of 40 years ago.  In those days, pavements were narrow and foot traffic unbelievably high.  Now most City centre roads are totally traffic free apart from the modern trams, or limited to buses and taxis.

The bus system has obviously taken a leaf out of the London Underground system by using colour coded buses for each area. 

This is pedestrian heaven as the graffiti free city centre is not dwarfed by ugly, boring,  concrete and glass office blocks reaching far into the sky.  In fact, the city skyline has, apart from a couple of exceptions, been limited and many modern buildings are still of brick construction, or at least, brick facings.   Everywhere around, there are great examples of the bricklayers art and as Nottingham was once famous for its brickworks, that is only fitting.

For those arriving in London at St Pancras, including the Eurostar rail from France, just take note, as this magnificent building was built using Nottingham bricks.  Who said we only made cigarettes (Players), bicycles (Raleigh) and pharmaceuticals (Boots)?  Those first two industries have a lesser impact than they once did in terms of locals, but hopefully, those bricks are a constant reminder of one of the lesser known industries.

Enough of that. 

Our first call was to the smaller of the two M & S stores, where we had an excellent coffee and toasted sandwiches with delightful staff.

A steady trundle then through the city centre, where they are just building the annual sea-side in the square.  In a few day’s time, the Old Market Square will be transformed into a beach resort.

On through to the older of Nottingham’s two major malls, the 40 year old Victoria Centre.  This has been completely refurbished and they have made a splendid job of it.  At the top end, they have relocated ‘The Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator’ better known as the Emmett Water Clock, after an extensive overhaul.  There is still work going on as they are about to reintroduce the food court, on two levels.

Back to the bus and car and home, then Paula and I went out to catch up with Stewart, Manu and Noah, at the Iona School, end of year festival.  Noah hasn’t been before, but in September, he’ll be leaving the Rudolph Steiner School and moving to Iona.

I have to say, that although we had no children performing, and that they were up to the age of 11, they put on a very good show.  But what is of more importance is the teachers.

How many 11 year olds I wonder, could do or are aware of the Monty Python ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’, or the ‘Luxury’ sketch?  (You know the one, “Lived in the hallway?  Luxury.  We live in t’ street, in a card board box...”  and so on.  Or a sketch in German?  They managed all three - and very well too.

The kids all played recorders (also very well) from memory – and the teachers had to use the music.

I think Noah will enjoy it there.

Afterwards. Paula and I opted for a meal at the Tree Tops and I managed a Stella Artois peach cider, to go with our chicken curries.  They even had a kiwi Old Mout Cider there!  I’d been looking for a peach cider ever since I left Rodd and Gunn, 15 years ago, when there was one called Kaos.  There is every other fruit cider around these days in NZ, but I haven’t seen peach.

Back home after a call to my parents ex-neighbours, after a good day in a City that can hold its head up high.  Maybe not the ancient ruins of Greece, or the fantastic fruit markets of France, Spain, and Italy, the walled cities of Dubrovnik, Tallin or Koper, the impressively modern Dubai, not even the HoHo buses of all those other places we have visited, but looking at it through fresh eyes and even without the obvious bias, well worth a visit.  Maybe I’ll even do the cave tour under the city, though I know Paula won’t!